Uganda sets up independent committee to deal with tax agents

Derick Nkajja (left) from the accountancy profession, Feddy Mwerinde and Annet Nakawunde Mulindwa – all from the private sector, URA Commissioner General Akol (middle) and Godfrey Akena (right) from the legal profession.

Government of Uganda has set up a five-member committee to check the powers of the self regulated tax agents.

Henry Saka, the commissioner for domestic taxes told The Independent on the sidelines of an event unveiling the committee at the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) headquarters in Nakawa on May 10, that there are about 700 tax agents operating in the country and are not regulated.

“We believe they are more than that,” he said. The agents in question are believed to be middle men helping tax payers to file returns for the URA.

Until recently these agents have been working on their own without URA’s or government’s consent because there was no law to regulate them.

However, legislators brought into force the Tax Procedure Code (TPC) Act 2014 on July 1, 2016 to harmonise tax administration of different types including those of agents.

What is the TPC?

The TPC Act provides for the formation of the Tax Agents Registration Committee (TARC).

As per the provisions of the law, the new committee comprises of Doris Akol, the commissioner general of URA, Derick Nkajja from the accountancy profession, Godfrey Akena from the legal profession, Feddy Mwerinde and Annet Nakawunde Mulindwa – all from the private sector.

Akol (URA Commissioner General) said that the committee work has begun and will come up with conditions for registering agents.

She said that the TARC will publish the first list of certified agents by July 1, 2017 for public information.

She added that the committee will improve the quality of declarations made for tax purpose and protect clients and address client grievances against tax agents among other issues.